Getting serious with K+12?

DepEd has asked public and private schools to submit reports on their preparations for the implementation of its K+12 plan. The reports are to include status of enrolment, teaching staff, classrooms and facilities and other requisites needed to operate preschool classes as well as the two-year senior high school.

 So the education office is really serious about its K+12 program. But can it proceed to do so without money? Its budget this year is P207.3 billion (short of P172.7 billion from its proposed P380 billion, but P35 billion more than its 2010 budget of P172 billion). Even with the additional P35 billion, the department is still unable to provide enough classrooms and teachers, and enough learning materials and equipment to make Philippine basic education competitive with that of other Asian countries.

 Take preschool or kindergarten which has been declared by DepEd as a requirement for entry into grade one. Presently, some 1,127,000 preschoolers are attending classes in various public schools, which means that at 25 pupils per class the number of teachers required is 77,262 as against the 29,615 available. How was the shortage of 47,647 teachers solved? The plan was to hire contractual teachers, courtesy of local government officials. But whether this was done or not we have no information.

 There’s no doubt that early education capacitates the child to tackle grade one and higher courses with less difficulty. It is a must if we are to improve the learning levels of our kids and at the same time minimize drop-outs. But this will happen only if preschool classes, like other classes, are operated with their basic needs provide for. If not, little can be expected from the operation of these classes.

 Even without the K+12 plan, the education system has already been hard-pressed in trying to meet the basic needs of basic education. Classrooms and teachers as well as other schooling needs have always been in short supply. Item: Of the 60 thousand teachers currently needed to handle more than 22,000,000 students only 10,000 have been provide for. Item: Of the 200,000 new classrooms needed only 10,000 are being constructed. And that is only for classrooms and teachers. What about the other teaching-learning requisites?

 It is clear that K+12 is an impossible dream. There’s simply no way to fund it. The question is why is DepEd leadership crazy about it? Is it because President Aquino, has been made to believe it is doable and has therefore included it in his program of government? My years at DepEd taught me that it is the tendency of every new leadership therein to come up with its own banner project. Secretary Lourdes Quisumbing for example had her values education; Secretary Isidro Curino had his work ethics; while Secretary Ricardo Gloria had his science education thrust. For Secretary Armin Luistro? What else but K+12?

 When President Aquino was told about the plan to build the Cebu-Bohol bridge his reaction was: “It’s a good dream!” Now Cebuanos can also say to his K+12, “It’s a good dream!”

 No doubt, there’s something in this innovation that deserves support. It’s true that most countries have 12 years of basic schooling compared to our 10. It’s true too that our college graduates are looked upon as wanting in academic training when they seek employment abroad, especially in Europe. With all our resolve we should therefore look forward to the day when we can come up to the global standard of education, at least in length of exposure. But a resolve should not run head-on against realities.

 And what are these realities? Only four of every 5 kids can finish the elementary grades; only three in 5 can complete high school; while only one of 5 high school graduates can take up college. So why lengthen a system when majority of our young people cannot even go through the current academic program?

 Again, we say that this attempt to reinvent our educational system deserves the support of all stakeholders. Implemented, K+12 could bring about the kind of education our children deserve, one that touches their mind and heart and one that equips them with employable skills.

Unfortunately, the existing circumstances are not favorable for the project’s realization, hence, this plan could just remain a dream.